Margaret Chase Smith is considered one of America's most outstanding twentieth-century political leaders and one of its greatest stateswomen.
Born in Skowhegan, Maine, on December 14, 1897, Margaret Chase was the daughter of Carrie Murray and George Emery Chase. Early in life, she displayed the
independence that would later characterize her political career. She briefly taught school, worked as a telephone operator, managed circulation for the
Skowhegan newspaper, the Independent Reporter, and served as an employee at a local textile mill. During the 1920s, she became involved with women
's organizations, in particular the Skowhegan Business and Professional Women's Club of which she was a founder. In 1930, she married Clyde H. Smith, a
respected political leader in central Maine. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1936 and served until his untimely death in
1940. After conducting four campaigns in five months, Margaret Chase Smith succeeded her husband in representing Maine's Second District.

Early in her legislative career, Congresswoman Smith developed a strong interest in military issues. During World War II, she secured a seat on the
House Naval Affairs Committee. She used the position to investigate congestion on the homefront caused by the rapid war build up. More important, she almost single-handedly won permanent status for women in the military.

Following a successful eight years in the House, Margaret Chase Smith beat the odds in 1948 when she soundly defeated the incumbent governor, Horace Hildreth; former governor, Sumner Sewall; and the Reverend Albion Beverage
in the Republican primary for the United States Senate. She then went on to win the general election. As a result, she became the first woman in the nation's history to serve in both houses of Congress and the first to be elected to
the Senate in her own right.

For the remainder of her political career, Senator Smith continued to represent Maine with distinction. She fiercely guarded her independence and
tirelessly worked on behalf of Maine's industries and citizens. Her votes against President Nixon's Supreme Court nominees Clement F. Haynsworth and G. Harrold Carswell illustrated her commitment to principle and independence. In
addition, she played a significant role in Senate deliberations over the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and other arms control efforts during the early 1970s.

Throughout her congressional career, Senator Smith adhered to a two-pronged philosophy that became her political trademark. One of these was her perfect attendance record in Congress. She held an all-time voting record in the
United States Senate until 1981 with 2,941 consecutive roll-call votes. The second was the fact that she was scrupulous about spending very little on her campaigns, never accepting campaign contributions. This frugality earned her widespread approval among her constituents and was an important factor in her impressive vote-getting record. Nevertheless, her streak of eight successive terms finally came to an end in 1972, when Senator Smith was narrowly defeated for re-election by Representative William D. Hathaway.

After retiring from political life, Senator Smith launched a second career in education. For more than three years she toured the nation's colleges and universities as a Visiting Professor with the Woodrow Wilson National
Fellowship Foundation. Accompanying her was Major General William C. Lewis, Jr., her longtime Executive Assistant in the Senate. General Lewis had joined her during the 1948 Senate campaign and remained her loyal confidante and aide
until his death in 1982. Together they planned for the creation of the Margaret Chase Smith Library that adjoins her Skowhegan home and stands high above the banks of the Kennebec River. During the remaining years of her life, she played an active role in the library's programs. Senator Smith especially enjoyed meeting with visiting school groups.

During the course of her long and distinguished career, Senator Smith was the recipient of ninety-five honorary degrees from educational institutions across the country. In addition, she received numerous awards recognizing her
contributions to the nation. The culmination was the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, which President George Bush presented her in July of 1989. Following a brief illness, Margaret Chase Smith passed
away on May 29, 1995, at the age of 97.